The ranking in numbers
2.8×
Home value to income in Pittsburgh, the most affordable large metro
3.9×
Home value to income in the typical US ZIP code
10.1×
Home value to income in Los Angeles, the least affordable large metro
2.6×
Home value to income in Illinois, the most affordable state
The most affordable of the 100 largest metros
Typical home value divided by the typical median household income across each metro's ZIP codes: how many years of local earnings a home costs. Lowest first.
| # | Metro | Price to income | Home value | Median income | 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pittsburgh, PA | 2.8× | $181,500 | $68,200 | −1.5% |
| 2 | St. Louis, MO | 3.0× | $253,800 | $79,600 | +4.9% |
| 3 | Dayton, OH | 3.1× | $248,500 | $78,800 | +4.3% |
| 4 | Oklahoma City, OK | 3.1× | $223,300 | $66,300 | +1.5% |
| 5 | Baton Rouge, LA | 3.2× | $243,600 | $75,500 | +0.3% |
| 6 | Akron, OH | 3.2× | $263,400 | $78,400 | +4.7% |
| 7 | Des Moines, IA | 3.2× | $291,300 | $88,100 | +3.2% |
| 8 | Little Rock, AR | 3.3× | $238,400 | $67,100 | +4.6% |
| 9 | Augusta, GA | 3.3× | $193,900 | $56,700 | +5.9% |
| 10 | Tulsa, OK | 3.3× | $228,000 | $63,900 | +4.4% |
| 11 | Omaha, NE | 3.4× | $294,000 | $85,300 | +3.2% |
| 12 | Cleveland, OH | 3.4× | $282,000 | $79,000 | +4.4% |
| 13 | McAllen, TX | 3.4× | $169,500 | $53,200 | −0.8% |
| 14 | Memphis, TN | 3.4× | $239,000 | $64,500 | +2.6% |
| 15 | Rochester, NY | 3.4× | $264,800 | $77,900 | +4.1% |
| 16 | Huntsville, AL | 3.4× | $304,100 | $88,500 | +0.5% |
| 17 | Birmingham, AL | 3.4× | $238,800 | $69,900 | +2.0% |
| 18 | Detroit, MI | 3.5× | $298,800 | $82,000 | +1.5% |
| 19 | Indianapolis, IN | 3.5× | $296,200 | $81,100 | +3.2% |
| 20 | Buffalo, NY | 3.6× | $287,600 | $78,400 | +4.8% |
| 21 | Houston, TX | 3.6× | $277,900 | $76,800 | −0.8% |
| 22 | Columbia, SC | 3.6× | $227,300 | $62,400 | +1.5% |
| 23 | Harrisburg, PA | 3.6× | $289,700 | $75,700 | +3.5% |
| 24 | Cincinnati, OH | 3.7× | $277,800 | $75,700 | +3.0% |
| 25 | New Orleans, LA | 3.7× | $234,800 | $63,100 | −0.1% |
The least affordable
| # | Metro | Price to income | Home value | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles, CA | 10.1× | $946,300 | $101,200 |
| 2 | San Jose, CA | 9.2× | $1,514,100 | $160,100 |
| 3 | San Diego, CA | 8.9× | $901,900 | $105,400 |
| 4 | San Francisco, CA | 8.3× | $1,218,600 | $135,100 |
| 5 | Honolulu, HI | 8.3× | $871,600 | $105,800 |
| 6 | Oxnard, CA | 8.1× | $894,600 | $110,800 |
| 7 | Santa Rosa, CA | 7.4× | $805,300 | $108,400 |
| 8 | Seattle, WA | 6.3× | $667,300 | $113,200 |
| 9 | Riverside, CA | 6.3× | $525,400 | $83,600 |
| 10 | Reno, NV | 6.2× | $575,400 | $98,200 |
The most affordable states
| # | State | Price to income | Home value | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Illinois | 2.6× | $197,600 | $77,800 |
| 2 | West Virginia | 2.7× | $147,200 | $56,600 |
| 3 | Kansas | 2.7× | $180,200 | $67,800 |
| 4 | Iowa | 2.9× | $211,100 | $75,000 |
| 5 | North Dakota | 3.0× | $250,500 | $82,400 |
| 6 | Oklahoma | 3.1× | $185,900 | $59,100 |
| 7 | Kentucky | 3.1× | $169,700 | $58,200 |
| 8 | Louisiana | 3.2× | $189,200 | $58,600 |
| 9 | Mississippi | 3.2× | $159,400 | $51,700 |
| 10 | Ohio | 3.2× | $225,700 | $71,000 |
The most affordable ZIP codes
ZIP codes: the 5,000 most populous in the country, so that places with only a handful of sales a year do not crowd the list.
| # | ZIP code | Area | Metro | Price to income | Home value | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 39209 | Jackson, MS | Jackson | 1.3× | $46,000 | $36,300 |
| 2 | 48205 | Detroit, MI | Detroit | 1.4× | $53,100 | $39,000 |
| 3 | 61832 | Danville, IL | Danville | 1.4× | $68,500 | $47,300 |
| 4 | 48234 | Detroit, MI | Detroit | 1.5× | $54,100 | $35,300 |
| 5 | 48601 | Saginaw, MI | Saginaw | 1.6× | $61,600 | $38,900 |
| 6 | 48238 | Detroit, MI | Detroit | 1.7× | $55,700 | $33,300 |
| 7 | 48224 | Detroit, MI | Detroit | 1.8× | $82,000 | $44,900 |
| 8 | 39212 | Jackson, MS | Jackson | 1.8× | $92,900 | $50,700 |
| 9 | 62521 | Decatur, IL | Decatur | 1.8× | $122,300 | $66,300 |
| 10 | 48602 | Saginaw, MI | Saginaw | 1.8× | $86,400 | $47,000 |
| 11 | 71603 | Pine Bluff, AR | Pine Bluff | 1.9× | $98,600 | $53,100 |
| 12 | 48210 | Detroit, MI | Detroit | 1.9× | $70,600 | $37,800 |
| 13 | 44105 | Cleveland, OH | Cleveland | 1.9× | $77,900 | $40,900 |
| 14 | 48227 | Detroit, MI | Detroit | 1.9× | $70,500 | $36,500 |
| 15 | 67501 | Hutchinson, KS | Hutchinson | 1.9× | $98,400 | $50,900 |
| 16 | 62002 | Alton, IL | St. Louis | 1.9× | $119,400 | $61,400 |
| 17 | 50501 | Fort Dodge, IA | Fort Dodge | 2.0× | $131,900 | $66,900 |
| 18 | 52501 | Ottumwa, IA | Ottumwa | 2.0× | $125,600 | $63,400 |
| 19 | 63136 | Jennings, MO | St. Louis | 2.0× | $83,600 | $41,200 |
| 20 | 45417 | Dayton, OH | Dayton | 2.1× | $76,000 | $36,900 |
Questions
What is the most affordable place to live in the US?
Against local incomes, Pittsburgh, PA, where the typical home costs 2.8× the median household income, followed by St. Louis, MO, Dayton, OH and Oklahoma City, OK.
What is a good price-to-income ratio?
The lower the better for a buyer. The typical US ZIP code sits at 3.9×; a multiple near 3× or below is affordable by historical standards, and above 5× is stretched.
What is the least affordable housing market?
Among the 100 largest metros, Los Angeles, CA, at 10.1× the median household income.
More rankings
- Cheapest places to buy
- Best rental yields
- Hottest markets
- Where prices are falling
- Where people are moving
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Sources and method
- Source: CITIZEN, Lualdi Advisors' US housing market intelligence. Home values and rents through August 2026; household incomes 2020 to 2024; migration for tax years 2022 to 2023.
- The 100 largest metros are those holding the most of the country's 5,000 most populous ZIP codes. Metro and state figures are medians across their ZIP codes, not a separate index.
- Rebuilt every month with CITIZEN's latest data. Last updated 2026-10-14.
